The comedian, who recently suffered a heart attack that nearly killed her, told PEOPLE that the dog was a protective presence in her family, which includes new wife Michelle Rounds, and children Parker, 17, Chelsea, 15, Blake, 12, and Vivienne, 9.

"One day, when Blake was 2 years old we were all snow tubing on the hill and Blake jumped in the tube and it started going down," O'Donnell wrote in an e-mail. "Nicky put his paws on the tube and held it so Blake wouldn't go down alone."

O'Donnell and Rounds also share two other dogs – a 4-lb. Chihuahua and a 4 lb. Pomeranian.